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Bereavement Support Resources..
Consolation
Here are a few ways to help survivors through a sad time of life:
Solitude Helps.
You may need time to think about your loved one, to remember times you shared, to consider how your life will be now. You may be overwhelmed by your sorrow. You may want to stay in bed or cry or sleep, go for a walk, or sit in a chapel.
Other People Help.
Friends and family members are likely to empathize with you. Even if they do not know what to say, just being with other people can be supportive. Accept others’ invitation to participate in activities – but leave if you feel you need to. Reach out to family or friends when the next hour or day seems unbearable.
Accepting Support Helps.
Others may want to help by doing things for you. They may want to bring you food or talk on the phone or run errands. Accept these acts of kindness whenever you can.
Rest And Sleep Help.
Caring for a dying person has been exhausting. You may need time alone simply to regain your physical energy, as well as your emotional and spiritual strength.
Routines Help.
Even though your life may feel upside down, try to keep up a routine of healthy eating, occasional physical activity (even a 10 minute walk), and regular sleep.
Time Helps.
Your life may never be the same again. Whatever your experience with death and dying, you will find that you see the world and your place in it differently. Time lessons some of grief’s pain, but it does not diminish your loss or sadness.
Dreams Help.
Many people dream of the dead person and feel that, in this way, they are with the person again.
Nature Helps.
Take a walk and focus on something promising that you see.
Creativity Helps.
You may try to write about your feelings, or creating a special area in your home to honor the memory of your loved one.
Handbook for Mortals, Lynn Harold
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